Quantico Soundtrack
by mabelreid
Summary: Life has a soundtrack, even the fictional lives of our favorite Profilers. A series of little one shots inspired by my Ipod
1. Breakaway

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**_A/n hey all here's some little ficlets based on songs in my Ipod. They'll feature everyone in the cast as it stands today, with an emphasis on Reid most likely as he is my favorite _**

**_Breakaway_**

She tossed her bag into the back of her car where it hit with a soft thump on the leather seat. "You won't change your mind." He said.

"I can't stay here…" She slid into the front seat of the car and shut the door.

"We'll miss you, call when you can." He pleaded.

She turned the key in the ignition. "I'll call."

"Where will you go?"

She looked east into the rising sun. "I think I'll just follow the sun."

He stepped back from the car to join three other men who watched her drive away. "Why?" He asked his brother.

"Sometimes you have to run away to find what you're looking for," said the third brother softly.

"Will she come back," asked the youngest brother?

"Someday, when she's ready," said the oldest as the old, orange convertible rounded the corner into golden and pink sunlight.


	2. No Son of Mine

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**_No Son of Mine_**

"Are you going to tell me where you learned to do that?" She asked.

"My father taught me when I was little." He said, as the gold coin danced across his fingers.

She pulled her legs up under her chin and rested it on her knees. "Oh…" She said softly.

"I'm glad you're here." He said reaching out for her hand.

She clasped his fingers across the space between them as he pocketed his medallion. "I couldn't let you come back here alone.

"I can't believe he's gone." He choked back the tears in his throat. "I used to think I'd be happy to hear…" He swallowed hard. "I just thought it would be different."

She sat up and moved across the bed to cradle him in her arms. "He was your dad, no matter what he did or said."

"He rejected me…" He said shrilly. "I thought I was over it, but I'm not. All I can think about are the things we never got to experience. Now we never will and it's not fair."

"No… It's not fair… Think how much worse you would feel if you hadn't cleared the air with him. Yes, you'll miss the times you never had, but now you don't have to feel the emptiness of never hearing his side of the story."

"I know you're right," he said, pulling away from her arms and rising from the bed. "It's time to get ready." He held out his hand to her. "Please help me get through this day."

"Always," she promised.


	3. Roll with the Changes

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**_Roll with the Changes_**

"So that's it?" She asked as calmly as she could despite the urge to break something on his desk.

"I'm sorry Jennifer," He said, calling her by her given name for the first time in - well, in ever, actually.

"Now I know you mean business," She said as the butterflies began swarming in her stomach, again.

"I do mean it," Hotch said sadly. "I tried to convince CS Strauss how valuable you are to the team, but she wouldn't listen. She believes that in the current economic climate, that the BAU doesn't need a media liaison."

"Since when Hotch," She snapped, losing her temper and not caring. "I was asked to come into this Unit because you needed help with the media. Now, you don't need that help." She stood up, grabbing her purse. "That's fine with me Hotch… The truth is that I am tired of all of this. Will has been at me for a year to give up my job and get something more nine to five. So before you tell me my services are no longer needed, let me give you this." She handed him an envelope. "I've been carrying this around for awhile."

"I think you actually managed to surprise me." Hotch said, taking the envelope from her trembling hands.

"Good… That makes me happier than you can imagine. I'll go clean out my desk. There's no reason to draw this out."

She left the office, ignoring his voice calling out to her because tears pricked her eyes. She pulled out her phone and hit speed dial. "Hey baby…" She said shakily. "I did it"


	4. Even A Fool can See

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Even a Fool Can See

The photograph slipped out of the album and slowly drifted to the floor as he pulled it off the top shelf. He made a grab at it, but it his fingers weren't fast enough to keep it from finding the carpeted floor of the closet.

He bent down and picked up the photograph. Tears, that he worked so hard to keep from his family and friends, pricked at the corners of his eyes as he looked at her beautiful face. They'd been so happy the day he'd snapped the picture.

They'd finally moved into their own home. He'd snapped a picture of her with splatters of white paint on her face and her hair. He remembered how mad she'd been that he'd surprised her looking like the paint can exploded on her, as she'd so sarcastically said.

He opened the album and began flipping through it from the beginning; he found pictures of their wedding, family gatherings, his son's first sonogram, his son's first birthday party and his first steps. So many first things missed because of his devotion. So many things missed that weren't first things, like a rainy afternoon making love on white sheets with the window open so she could hear the thunder booming in counterpoint to their cries, or a meal finished, a conversation finished, or a look appreciated instead of taken for granted. When had it gone wrong? When had he stopped trying? When had the job become more important than his family? When had the many taken precedence over the one, or the two?

He shut the album and put it next to him on the carpeted floor. He picked up a small announcement written on white paper in black letters. He ran his fingers over the dates of birth and death. He had been a fool to let her slip away. Now, he would always wonder what might have been had he just taken one-step back, if he had stopped to listen to her instead of the siren call of the almighty FBI.

Yes… He realized as he added his copy of her funeral program to the photo album, even a fool can see when it's too late


	5. If Today was your last Day

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**_If Today was your last Day_**

His hand tightened on her fingers as his body trembled under the onslaught of horrific pain he must be feeling. "Stay with me Reid," she smiled down at him, a smile that didn't come from her heart, but she couldn't let him see it.

"Emily…" He choked, blood dripping from the corner of his mouth.

"Don't talk Reid," she curled her hands into his silky soft hair.

"Have to talk to you," he said breathlessly, then he screamed in pain.

"Where the hell is everyone?" She shouted looking wildly around for Hotch or Morgan. Why weren't they there?

"Emily…" Reid said in a whispery voice. "Need to ask you," he croaked. "Please tell my dad I'm sorry, that I love him." He groaned as more blood, nearly black in color, leaked from his mouth.

He shivered… His hands were growing cold under her fingers. She tried to shake off her flack jacket and hold his right hand at the same time, but it didn't work.

"Please someone help me!" She screamed as his teeth ground together against another scream, she supposed.

"Emily…" He said, "I love all of you…" He gasped out. "Promise me you'll tell the others," he stuttered, his eyes going glazed.

"I promise Reid, but you're going to be fine."

He nodded, but it was only to humor her, she could see. Time seemed to slow down to a crawl as though someone has poured malasses into the great cosmic Clock. "Tell Garcia, to give her recording to my mother. She'll know what you mean." He whispered.

"I will," Tears that she hadn't cried in years began rolling down her cheeks. "Please stay with me Reid… I love you."

He smiled, his teeth scarlet with blood. "Emily… promise me you'll live, away from all of this." He said.

"Of course Spencer," She stroked his hair, feeling the sweat bead up on his forehead.

His beautiful eyes seemed to look past her into infinity as one long last breath rattled in his chest and his hand fell out of her grasp.

000000000

"You don't have to go." He said as she packed the box on her desk.

"Yes I do…" She said, dropping a small, empty film canister into the box.

"We need you Emily," but he stood aside and let her leave.

"I need time to myself. I can't do this anymore. Losing him was just the last straw." She picked up the box and moved to the elevator.

"What are you going to do?"

"I'm going to get up every morning and watch the sunrise." She pushed the button to the elevator. "I'm going to go back to Rome and gorge myself on pasta and bread. I'm going to fix things with my mother." She said.

"Will you come back?" He asked.

"No, I've given my resignation to Strauss personally. She accepted it without question. It's time to move on. Maybe," she said as the elevator pinged and the doors opened. "Maybe I'll learn to rock climb and do magic." She stepped inside shrugging her shoulders. "I made a promise to a friend."


	6. Have A little Faith in Me

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**_Have a little Faith in Me_**

She raised his hand to her lips and kissed it. The gleam of the golden band on the third finger made her smile up into his deep brown eyes. He smiled, mirth gleaming in those wonderful eyes as he looked down at her.

"What are you thinking?" She inquired.

"I'm wondering if this was a good idea."

She squeezed his hand very tightly, "Don't make me sorry I put that ring on your finger."

He laughed, "I'm sorry… It's just that I've done this three times already. Why should this time be any different?"

"So you want a guarantee," She wondered while tugging him away from the courthouse to the parking garage and his car.

"Yeah, I guess I do." He admitted.

"I thought you'd have learned there are no guarantees." She responded.

"Listen…" He began.

She pulled her hand out of his grasp and stepped in front of him so that he couldn't go anywhere. "David Rossi… What makes you think you're better then everyone else?"

She grinned as he reared back in surprise. "I don't think I'm better then everyone else." He said with some indignation in his tone.

"Don't take that tone with me," She chided gently. "I'm just saying that this," She held up the hand that wore his ring, "shouldn't be easy. If it were easy… what would be the point?

Something shifted in his eyes as he listened. "I love you very much. I don't want to fail again."

"You're not going to fail again because I know what I'm getting into with you, or don't you remember."

"How could I forget?" He leaned down and kissed her. "Thank you." He whispered when they parted.

"For what?"

"For putting up with me of course," He said.

"Oh… that… Well, that's easy." She mocked. "Just remember whose boss and we'll get along fine."


	7. Danger Zone

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**_Danger Zone_**

"When are you going to learn to let the SWAT team go first?" Reid said irritably, as the medics loaded his friend into the back of the ambulance.

"Give it a rest Reid," Morgan snapped back.

One of the medics grinned at Reid while securing the door. The other medic slapped Morgan's hand away from his arm as he attempted to give him some pain medication.

"You're not going to stick that in my arm." He said through gritted teeth. "I don't need a pain killer."

"That's a nasty break. Settle down, or my partner and I will give you a sedative." The medic warned.

The medics were both as large as Morgan was so he glared at them and let the first one stick the needle in his arm. "Ouch…" He growled.

"Oh please… It didn't do more than pinch you," The medic said very unsympathetically while winking at Reid.

Reid took the bench next to his injured partner as the ambulance headed off down the road to the hospital. He looked very serene at the medics' treatment of his friend, which irritated Morgan more than the compound fracture of his right arm.

"What's so funny?" He demanded of his _former_ friend.

"You are," Reid chuckled. "It's all about the danger for you. If you would look before you leap…You break down doors, chase suspects and leap between buildings, but you're afraid of needles."

"I'm not afraid of needles. I just don't need the pain killers." Morgan argued.

"Whatever you say, tough guy," Reid agreed happily.

"If you don't wipe that smile of your face, I'll do it for you." Morgan said, but the threat lacked its usual punch.

"Why don't you wait until you can use both of your arms?" Reid advised.


	8. Walkin After Midnight

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**_Walkin after Midnight_**

"Clooney…" Morgan shouted out his front door.

Nothing… The pooch had disappeared into the black darkness of the night. When he found out how his dog had turned into Houdini…

"Where did you take off to?" He grumbled, yanking his keys off the board hanging just inside his kitchen door.

He slammed the door to his house locking it behind him. He had to work in the morning and here it was 9 pm and Clooney had once again taken off to parts unknown. The collar he wore that was supposed to keep him in the yard had to be malfunctioning, or the dog didn't care about the jolt he got every time he crossed the boundary.

Morgan jumped into his SUV and headed off into the night. A quick run around the block should net him his fugitive dog.

Three hours later he was still driving around the neighbor hood looking for his mutt who was in for a world of trouble when Derek found him.

He pulled off the road and sighed. He hadn't wanted to do this, to involve her at this time of night, but there was nothing else to do. He dialed his phone and listened to it ring until she answered sounding like she'd been sleeping peacefully.

"You are so dead when I get my hands on you." She said by way of greeting.

"Baby girl, is that anyway to talk to your man."

"Go away Derek it's after midnight and I have to work.

"I know, I'm sorry to disturb your beauty sleep, but he's at it again."

Her voice cleared at bit. "How long this time?"

"Three hours and counting, I'm losing my patience baby girl."

"Okay, let me boot up my computer. "

He waited patiently as cars passed him washing their golden headlights over the cab of his truck.

"I got him stud muffin."

She gave him an address he recognized. "Thank you my goddess."

"You owe me big time. It's a good thing hacking Clooney's locator chip is something I can do in my sleep, literally."

"I'll bring you a large coffee and one of Cassie's muffins."

She laughed. "You give the best bribes my chocolate God."

He hung up on her laugh and started his truck. The address he wanted was only five minutes away. He reached the location and got out of the truck. The neighborhood was very quiet, just the way he liked it. He switched on his flashlight and looked around. The home was next to a house that was for sale and had been vacant for a while, as the housing market had really taken a dive in the area.

He heard movement and whimpering near the back of the abandoned house. "If the neighbors panic and call the cops, you are going to the pound." He promised under his breath as he followed the noise.

Around the corner of the house in the bare flowerbed lay Clooney, another dog and several happily nursing puppies. Three of the puppies looked suspiciously like his mutt.

He smiled in spite of himself as his flashlight played over the family. Clooney looked up and whined. He looked very guilty and proud too.

"I knew I should have got you fixed years ago buddy."

The dog whined and licked the other dogs face. "Alright, I get the attraction of a good looking babe. Come on." He patted his leg.

Clooney whined and stood up, looking back at the other dog who whined at him. "Come on boy… You got me walking after midnight once too often. I could get arrested for stalking or something. I promise we'll come back tomorrow."

Clooney barked softly and followed Morgan back to the truck.

"First thing in the morning I'm getting you a new collar." Morgan promised.


	9. Stand By Me

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**_Stand By Me_**

The dark brown, rich earth broke him down as he stared at the coffin. He thought she'd had her whole life ahead of her now that her parents' killer had been found. He'd thought it was okay to let go and let life take her where it wanted. He'd been wrong.

Someone stepped up to stand next to him at the new gravesite. She didn't speak, but then she didn't have to. She knew how to be there without words.

"You didn't have to come." He said.

"Did you think I would stay away?"

He glanced over at her and away from the flowers piled over the fake sod. She wore her red hair down in waves over her shoulders. The simple black dress that hugged her curves was so unlike her, but she was nothing if not appropriate when tradition called for it. She was more beautiful than he'd ever realized. She leaned forward and added a large bunch of red carnations to the flowers.

"I thought I had seen everything." He said, holding back tears with sheer force of will so that it hurt to swallow. "It's not fair." He said huskily. "Her life was supposed to stretch out for years. She was supposed to have children and grandchildren. How did this happen?"

He didn't look at her as he spoke, but he could see her out of the corner of his eye. She looked at him without speaking for a long time.

"What can I say to you that wouldn't be a cliché?" She said softly.

"You don't have to say anything kitten. Stay here with me."

She reached out and took his hand. He squeezed it. "You know those kids love you?" She asked.

"Yeah… I just wish they'd had everything kids should have, like parents and a normal life."

"You know I believe everything happens for a reason, Dave." She said boldly.

"I can't think of a reason for this."

She squeezed his hand. "I don't know the reason, I only have faith that there is one that we can't see right now."

He turned to look at her. She smiled through the tears collecting in her eyes. "I want to believe that."

"Then do," Penelope said.

"I promise to try if you'll stand by me." He asked.

"Always," she said.

He turned away from the gravesite tugging her away with him. He could leave now. It was okay to walk away. He'd make sure she had a proper memorial. The headstone wouldn't have the date, just her name:**_ Connie Galen - beloved daughter - you are loved._**


	10. This is it

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**_A/n he all, this is the last chapter of this little compilation. Thank you all for your support. _**

_**This is it**_

Reid picked up his messenger bag and his go bag. It was such a strange feeling, knowing that his life for the last seven years had ended. He didn't quite know what to do except stand staring around the quiet bullpen.

"So you're going?" A familiar voice asked.

He turned to see Rossi standing there in front of his office door. Everyone else had said their farewells and now the bullpen was empty of all the people he'd called friends and family.

"It's not your fault." Reid said.

"I know that, but I'm still sorry that Strauss is so short sighted." He spat out.

"She did her job." Reid said simply.

Rossi left his spot in front of his office and hurried down the stairs. "I can talk to her… Remind her that I know where the skeletons are hanging."

"No, I don't want you involved." Reid moved past him for the door and the elevator.

"Spencer…" Rossi said, stopping the younger man by this unprecedented use of his first name. "You did the right thing."

"Yes, I know that," Reid agreed as he looked back at a man that had taken Gideon's place in his life as mentor and confidant.

"Emily would be dead if you hadn't gone in there unarmed and talked him down."

"Again, I know that. It makes leaving here better, knowing that she'll be okay." He said turning back for the door.

"So this is it Dr Reid. You just walk away from seven years and the people that care for you."

Reid stopped again and turned to smile at Rossi. "I'm not walking away. I'm simply headed for the next great adventure."

"Will you keep in touch Reid?"

"Of course… You're my family after all."

Reid continued to the elevator, refusing to look back, it wasn't the ending he'd hope for, but he still had his family, and that was all that mattered.


End file.
